I Upgraded My Bathroom with This One Thing, and Now It Feels like a Luxe Experience

I remember the first time I ever used a bidet. It was over a decade ago in a restaurant bathroom. It felt like a luxurious experience, especially with the heated seat, and I vowed that day that once I owned my own place, I’d get one immediately. Fast-forward many years later, I kept my promise and bought a bidet on major sale at Costco. Sadly, it wasn’t as luxe as the one I tried all those years ago, but it did its job. So when I recently got the opportunity to test the new Aura by TUSHY, an auto open/close bidet with heated seating, I couldn’t wait to install it. 

For anyone new to bidets, they’re plumbing fixtures that attach to your toilet, are affixed to the side of the bowl, or are stand-alone features that use water to clean you up after going to the bathroom. The Aura by TUSHY is a bidet seat, specifically designed for elongated toilets only, that doesn’t need any additional plumbing, just access to an outlet.

Standout features include the hands-free auto open/close lid and seat, ergonomic heated seat, instant water heating, an integrated water filter, antimicrobial nozzle, adjustable air drying, and advanced self cleaning. Everything can be customized and controlled via a sleek wall-mounted remote.

Compared with my standard bidet seat, the Aura by TUSHY feels like a seat fit for royalty. The heated seat alone made me gleeful to try it out, but it was the hands-free, auto open/close bidet that made me feel like a real VIP. The lid opens and closes based on motion, and when you use the remote, you can have the seat go up and down, too. More than that, the instant water heating, antimicrobial nozzle, and advanced self-cleaning makes the toilet feel so sanitary. The UV sterilization goes off every three minutes to clean the nozzle.

I love that you can customize your experience and control settings — including the seat, water, and dryer temperatures — all through a remote you can mount on the wall. What’s more, there’s a digital screen that lets you see the exact temperature of the seat before you, well, take a seat, so nothing is a surprise. As a fan of bidets, I knew I’d enjoy the Aura by TUSHY, and so far, it’s been my most frequented toilet seat in my house. Even my guests love to use it! 

I was fortunate that my husband is handy enough to get this installed within an afternoon, but if you aren’t handy yourself or don’t have someone around that can install this for you, then please turn to a professional. Yes, the installation is DIY-friendly and no additional plumbing is required, but if you don’t feel confident in installing a plumbing fixture yourself, it’s best to get an expert’s help. Tushy says you can hire a tasker on TaskRabbit, who’s already equipped with the knowledge of installing these bidets, too. 

I might not be the first person to say this, but I say it to everyone I know: Everyone should have a bidet. They are arguably more sanitary than using just toilet paper and feel like an added luxury to your bathroom that’ll have every guest envious that you have one. The Aura by Tushy bidet in particular is for anyone looking to elevate their entire bathroom experience, as it features a heated seat, warm water, a dryer, UV sterilization, and an auto open/close lid and seat. It costs $599, which is comparable with other luxe bidet toilet seats on the market, according to Angi.

Buy: Aura by Tushy, $599